Alstroem syndrome gene, gene variants, expressed protein and methods of diagnosis for Alstroem syndrome

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence linked to Alström syndrome, variants of that nucleic acid sequence, the protein produced by that nucleic acid sequence and screening methods for testing individuals to determine if they are carriers of Alström syndrome.

PRIORITY TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION(S) UNDER 35 U.S.C. §119(e)

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §1 19(e) of provisional application Serial No. 60/345,883, filed Nov. 9, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) linked to Alström syndrome (ALMS1), variants of that nucleic acid sequence, the protein (SEQ ID NO: 2) encoded by that nucleic acid sequence and screening methods for testing individuals to determine if they are carriers of Alström syndrome.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Alström syndrome is a homogeneous autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by childhood obesity associated with hyperinsulinemia, chronic hyperglycemia, and neurosensory deficits^(3,4). The Alström locus is likely to interact with genetic modifiers as subsets of patients present with additional features such as dilated cardiomyopathy⁵, hepatic dysfunction⁶, hypothyroidism⁷, male hypogonadism, short stature and mild to moderate developmental delay and with secondary complications normally associated with type 2 diabetes, such as hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. The locus for Alström syndrome was initially mapped to chromosome 2p13 in a large French Acadian kindred within a 14.9 cM region⁸ and later to a refined interval of 6.1 cM^(9,10).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Using a positional cloning strategy, we nave identified previously uncharacterized transcript KIAA0328, in which mutation analysis revealed sequence variations including four frameshift mutations and two nonsense mutations in affected individuals from six unrelated families segregating for Alström Syndrome. ALMS1 is a novel gene that is ubiquitously expressed at low levels and does not share significant sequence homology with any other genes reported thus far. Identification of the ALMS1 gene provides us with an entry point into a novel pathway leading toward the understanding of both Alström Syndrome and the common diseases that characterize it phenotypically, such as obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. The ALMS1 gene can be used to diagnose Alström Syndrome by genetic testing for mutations in the gene or testing for adequate production levels of the protein encoded by the gene in patient tissues. Identification of ALMS1 also enables screening of individuals to determine if they are carriers of Alström Syndrome by genetic testing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0005]FIG. 1 Fine resolution and physical maps of the ALMS1 region. Recombinations in an affected child from the French Acadian kindred (I) and a child from a small nuclear family (II) place the ALMS1 critical interval in <2cM region. Eight overlapping BACs complete a 1.2 Mb contig. Locations of sixteen known and predicted genes derived from EST clusters are shown as darkened bars. Genes tested for mutation analysis are depicted with an asterisk. 1-16: SEC15 (AB023136), SPR (sepiapterin reductase), EMY1 (empty spiracle, drosophila homolog 1), THC529835 (c. elegans sre2 homolog), PP75 (KIAA0857), EST (THC551446), a novel gene related to EMX homeobox protein, NN8-4AG (retinoic acid responsive), CCT7 (chaperonin containing TCP1, subunit 7), EST (THC530316), EST (AI014261), EGR4 (early growth response 4), EST (KIAA0328), DUSP11 (dual-specificity phosphatase 11), AMSH (STAM-associated molecule), and ACTG2 (actin, gamma-2, smooth muscle, enteric).

[0006]FIG. 2 Genomic structure and alternative splicing of the ALMS1 gene. a, Exon-intron structure of KIAA0328 (ALMS1) drawn to scale. The gene is comprised of 16 exons spanning >164 kb of genomic DNA. 5′ and 3′ UTR and exon regions are depicted by open and filled boxes, respectively. Introns for which there is incomplete sequence information are indicated by slash bars. b, Major alternative transcripts of human ALMS1 .

[0007]FIG. 3 Mutations in five unrelated families segregating for ALMS1. Mutations were observed in all affected subjects A1-A8. a-d, All mutations co-segregate with the disease in a homozygous state in affected individuals. a, Detection of a 19 bp insertion in exon 9 of KIAA0328 in a large consanguineous Acadian kindred (K1)¹². Chromatogram displays the sequence variation between a normal control and an affected individual. PCR-amplification of the 19 bp insertion from a nuclear family within the Acadian kindred is shown on the right. The parents (1,2) are heterozygous for the mutation (carrier), the unaffected child (3) is homozygous for the normal allele (439 bp, non-carrier) and the affected child (4) is homozygous for the insertion (458 bp). The transmission of the insertion is in full agreement with previously reported haplotypes (not shown). b, A 1582C>T nonsense mutation in exon 3 of an affected individual of Italian descent. c, 3808GA>T;3813G>A mutations in exon 9 resulting in a frameshift in all 3 affected siblings of French descent. NS=no sample. d, A 3974delC frameshift mutation in exon 9 in two kindreds. The genealogical relationship between these two has not been identified. A premature termination signal results at codon 1330. e, A 4648C>T nonsense mutation in second cousins A7 (homozygous) and A8 (heterozygous). A second mutation (1594insA) was identified in A8 which results in a frameshift.

[0008]FIG. 4 Expression of ALMS1 in various adult human and mouse tissues. a, RT-PCR of human cDNA multiple tissue panel (CLONTECH). b, Mouse northern blot analysis of 5 ug polyA+RNA hybridized with a 490 bp cDNA fragment spanning exons 1-3 and β-actin as control. Although ALMS1 expression in brain and muscle was not detected by human northern analysis, low expression was observed by RT-PCR.

[0009]FIG. 5 Amino acid similarity between human and mouse ALMS1 with mouse (AK016590) and macaque (AB055273) domains.

[0010]FIG. 6 ALMS1 β form cDNA sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) with the predicted 1902 amino acid encoded protein. The putative serine rich region (aa1590-1605), nuclear localization signals (aa1538-1563 and aa1670-1687) and the leucine zipper motif (aa213-234) is underlined. Polyadenylation signal sites are shown in bold.

[0011]FIG. 7 ALMS1 splice junctions.

[0012]FIG. 8 Primer pairs for ALMS1 mutation analysis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Building on the prior art mapping of the Alström Syndrome to a 6.1 cM region of chromosome 2p13, further recombinational and physical mapping resolved the critical interval to <2 cM, encompassing a 1.2 Mb region (FIG. 1). The physical contig was assembled from publicly available sequence data (GenBank) by aligning overlapping BAC clones and adjoining fragments by transcription unit content. Candidate genes for mutation analysis were identified by comparing the contig sequence with sequences of identified genes and expressed sequence tag (EST) clusters using the NIX annotation pipeline¹¹ and individual database searches (Incyte Genomics and GenBank). We identified sixteen genes and EST clusters within the minimal interval. Candidate genes were initially prioritized based on their expression pattern and function. Subsequently, a systematic screening of all genes in the region was conducted.

[0014] One EST cluster, containing the novel cDNA sequence KIAA0328 (AB002326), was composed of cDNA fragments expressed in many tissues affected in Alström patients and thus, was subjected to mutation analysis. To obtain the full length coding sequence of the corresponding cDNA, alignments were made between KIAA0328 and overlapping transcripts (Incyte Genomics, NCBI, and TIGR). A total human cDNA sequence of 6,612 bp was derived with an open reading frame spanning 1902 amino acids (see FIG. 6). A translation initiation site was identified at nucleotide 597 and two putative polyadenylation sites (AATAAA) was observed at positions 6389 and 6591, respectively. Alignment of the cDNA sequence with the genomic sequence identified 16 exons of varying lengths (45 through 1865 bp).

[0015] The exon-intron structure of the KIAA0328 gene, now referred to as ALMS1, is shown in FIG. 2a. Two overlapping human BAC clones, ctd2005P16 and RPCI-582H21 (AC069346 and AC074008), encompass the entire genomic sequence of ˜160 kb (coding exons). Several splice variants of ALMS1 have been identified from public and Incyte Genomics cDNA library databases (FIG. 2b). The relative abundance of the variants has been estimated from the number of GenBank clones representing the different sequences and the tissue distribution analysis reported in the Incyte Database. The most abundant variant is the β form (TIGR, THC530050) that consists of 16 exons. The carboxy terminal exons, 14 to 16, are not represented in the originally identified α transcript (GenBank, AB002326), which utilizes an alternate polyadenylation site in intron 14. The predicted open reading frame of the α form terminates immediately after exon 14. Sequence analysis predicts that the β protein product (1902 aa) only differs from the α protein product (1855 aa) by a 47 aa extension at the C-terminus. Database searches also identified other rare variant sequences including a δ form (GenBank, W11846; Incyte, 1453614.1), which has a shortened 3^(rd) exon, presumably due to the use of an internal splice donor site in exon 3, an ε variant sequence (Incyte, 1453614.3) which has a 5′ extended exon 13 and a 3′ extended exon 14, and a φ variant (GenBank, A W082244) which is the result of the processing of an intron in the 3′ noncoding region and which utilizes a polyadenylation signal 867 bps downstream of that of the β variant (not shown). These variants are expressed in a variety of tissues including brain, adrenal glands; lung, and testes.

[0016] Intronic primers were designed to amplify and sequence the entire coding region in DNA from six unrelated individuals affected with Alström syndrome. In the large consanguineous Acadian kindred¹² (K1), a 19 bp insertion was identified in exon 9 (FIG. 3a) which causes a frameshift resulting in early termination at codon 1263. The insertion was present in a homozygous state in all five affected subjects in the kindred. Transmission of the insertion allele in unaffected carriers was consistent with previously reported haplotypes⁸. The insertion allele was not observed in 100 unrelated individuals from the general population. Five additional mutations were identified in five unrelated families of diverse ethnicity (FIGS. 3b-e, Table 1). All mutations segregated with ALMS1. In a consanguineous Italian family (K57), a homozygous mutation was identified, 1582C>T, generating a TAA termination signal, while in a consanguineous French family (K22), a frameshift mutation, 3808GA>T;3813G>A, resulting in an early termination signal at codon 1279, was observed in three affected siblings. In a consanguineous Portugese family (K59), a TAA nonsense mutation, 4648C>T, was identified in two distant cousins. One cousin harbors the mutation in a homozygous state, while the other carries a single copy of the mutation. A second mutation, 1594insA, which creates a stop signal two amino acids downstream at codon 535, was identified in the latter individual thereby resulting in a compound heterozygous state. TABLE 1 Summary of mutations found in six Alström syndrome kindreds Mutations/ Number of control Kindred Affected subjects chromosomes 3737ins(n)₁₉ 1 10/5  200 1582C>T 57 2/1 3808GA>Tdel; 22 6/3 3813G>A 3974delC 42 2/1 3974delC 3 2/1 4648C>T 59 3/2 1594insA 59 1/2

[0017] A 3974delC mutation was observed in two unrelated young adults; a 19 year old male of British ancestry (K42, Subject A5) and a 21 year old male who traces his ancestry to Britain two centuries ago (K3, Subject A6). Both presented with infantile cardiomyopathy within the first two months of life and subsequently developed short stature, scoliosis, Type II diabetes mellitus, and renal insufficiency. However, these subjects differ in the course of their disease presentation. Subject K42 A5 experienced a sudden recurrence of dilated cardiomyopathy at age 18 and has no evidence of hepatic dysfunction. Subject K3 A6, however, presented with severe hepatic failure at age 20 but has not had a recurrence of cardiomyopathy. This finding of different disease progression in individuals carrying the same mutation suggests that the phenotypic variability seen in many Alström patients may be the result of genetic or environmental modifiers interacting with the ALMS1 locus.

[0018] Expression analysis was performed on mouse and human RNA. Probing a human multiple tissue blot (Ambion) with ALMS1 cDNA fragments failed to detect expression of ALMS1 after a 7 day exposure, suggesting low abundance of the transcript. However, RT-PCR of human cDNA panel 1 (CLONTECH) did show that ALMS1 is ubiquitously expressed (FIG. 4a). Northern analyses of mouse poly A⁺ RNA (5 μg) confirmed the ubiquitous but low expression in lung, heart, kidney, large intestine, spleen, eye, and ovary (FIG. 4b). In concordance with the abundance of ALMS1 in testis cDNA libraries indicated in the public and Incyte Genomics databases, a high level of expression was observed in mouse testis. Additional tissues, not tested by RT-PCR or northern analysis, that showed expression in human cDNA libraries from the Incyte Genomics database included adrenal, thyroid, pituitary, and mammary glands, thymus, uterus, urinary tract, colon, and connective tissue.

[0019] While no significant homology to other human genes in the NCBI database was identified, we were able to assemble the mouse Alms1 cDNA sequence (5.6 kb) from alignments of several EST sequences (GenBank & TIGR) as well as by aligning the human cDNA sequence with mouse genomic trace data (GenBank) and mouse genomic fragments (Celera). The mouse cDNA sequence was confirmed by sequencing PCR-amplified mouse Alms1 cDNA in C57BL6/J mice (GenBank, AF425257). The deduced amino acid sequence is 67.3% identical to the human ALMS1 protein sequence.

[0020] In an attempt to deduce the function of ALMS1, motif and homology searches were performed using Prosite and Pfam databases. No signal sequences or transmembrane regions were detected, which together with an overall hydrophilic nature of the protein suggests an intracellular location. A leucine zipper motif (PS00029, aa213 -234) and a serine rich region (aa1590-1606) were found in the predicted human protein. In addition, potential nuclear localization signals (PS50079, aa1538-1563 and 1670-1687), as well as a histidine rich region (aa1219-1256) were identified in the mouse sequence. All of these features are conserved between human and mouse ALMS1; however, because of the frequent occurrence of these motifs in various proteins, the functional significance of these matches has to be tested experimentally. In addition to the above domains, a 120 amino acid region at the C-terminus of ALMS1 was identified that showed sequence similarity to regions of two predicted proteins from macaque (AB055273) and mouse (AK016590). Due to the relatively small region of homology, it is unlikely that these sequences represent additional gene family members. It is more likely that this well conserved ALMS1 motif defines a protein domain that may have structural or functional significance (FIG. 5).

[0021] Obesity and type 2 diabetes, pervasive public health problems, are associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality and affect a large percentage of the population¹³. Both diseases are influenced by environmental conditions but also by a strong genetic component^(14,15). Interestingly, most of the genes identified to date that lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes have been in the context of syndromic diseases such as Bardet-Biedl Syndrome^(16,17,18). The infantile obesity observed in Alström patients is most likely a primary consequence of the alteration of the Alström gene as they constitute an earlier (as early as 6 months of age) phenotype observed in all affected children. The sequelae of insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycemia accompanied by secondary complications such as hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis, observed in Alström Syndrome, are conditions observed in common forms of adult-onset type 2 diabetes, with the difference being that they occur at an accelerated rate in Alstr6m patients. This suggests that ALMS1 may lie in the same or parallel pathway as obesity associated NIDDM. Determining the function of the ALMS1 gene will potentially provide insights into how this gene interacts with other genes to produce its pathological effects. Although it is unlikely that mutations within ALMS1 play a major role in common diseases in the general population, the real value of studying this gene lies in the access it may provide to novel metabolic and regulatory pathways involved in the etiology of obesity, type 2 diabetes, neurosensory diseases and related disorders. Many examples of this paradigm of identification of single gene mutations that have allowed for the identification of the upstream and downstream molecules in a biological pathway are available in the literature (i.e. leptin and the Jak/Stat kinase pathway in obesity¹⁹).

[0022] Another aspect of the invention pertains to vectors, preferably expression vectors, containing a nucleic acid encoding an ALMS1 protein (or a portion thereof). As used herein, the term “vector” refers to a nucleic acid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has been linked. One type of vector is a “plasmid”, which refers to a circular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments can be ligated. Another type of vector is a viral vector, wherein additional DNA segments can be ligated into the viral genome. Certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) are integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby are replicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked. Such vectors are referred to as “expression vectors”. In general, expression vectors of utility in recombinant DNA techniques are often in the form of plasmids. In the present specification, “plasmid” and “vector” can be used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector. However, the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors, such as viral vectors (e.g., replication defective retroviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses), which serve equivalent functions.

[0023] A host cell of the invention, such as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell in culture, can be used to produce (i.e., espress) an ALMS1 protein. Accordingly, the invention further provides methods for producing an ALMS1 protein using the host cells of the invention. In one embodiment, the method comprises culturing the host cell of the invention (into which, for example, a recombinant expression vector encoding an ALMS1 protein has been introduced) in a suitable medium such that an ALMS1 protein is produced. In another embodiment, the method further comprises isolating an ALMS1 protein from the medium or the host cell.

[0024] Methods

[0025] Families. DNA from Alström family members and control subjects was isolated from peripheral whole blood using a standard protocol²⁰. Inclusion criteria were based upon the assessment of the cardinal features of ALMS as well as the clinical diagnosis. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. All protocols were pre-approved by the Internal Review Board at The Jackson Laboratory.

[0026] Genotyping. Oligonucleotide primers for amplification of short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) were either obtained from Research Genetics or designed (MacVector 6.0)²¹ and custom made (One Trick Pony). PCR amplification of STRPs was performed with ³³P-labeled oligonucleotides as previously described²². PCR products were separated on a 6% denaturing polyacrylamide gel and visualized by autoradiography.

[0027] Mutation analysis. Sixteen exons of ALMS1 were PCR-amplified by standard PCR protocols. Amplified products were separated on a 1-1.2% gel, excised and purified using Nucleospin columns (CLONTECH) and sequenced(ABI Prism 3700). Sequencing results were compared to an unaffected control, BAC sequence (AC069346 and AC074008) and cDNA (KIAA0328).

[0028] Mouse cDNA sequence. Total RNA was prepared from whole brain of male C57BL/6J mice. Tissues were homogenized and RNA was isolated by treatment with TRIzol (Life Technologies) according to the manufacturer's protocol. cDNA was generated using the Superscript One-Step RT-PCR kit (Life Technologies). Primers for PCR-amplification of Alms1 were designed from sequences of aligned ESTs from Celera database. PCR-amplifcation of cDNA was performed using the Expand Template system (Roche).

[0029] Expression analysis. Mouse Northern: To generate the probe for northern analysis, mouse C57BL/6J retinal cDNA was PCR-amplified with exon 1-specific primers (forward: 5′-TTCAGACTCTCTTGATGGAAGC-3′ and reverse 5′-TTGTTGTCCCATGAGCAGC-3′) using the Expand Template system (Roche). The 394 bp product was purified and radiolabeled (Rediprime II labelling system, Amersham Pharmacia). Mouse multiple tissue blots²³ were pre-hybridized for one hour with Rapid Hyb buffer (Amersham Pharmacia) and hybridization was performed overnight. Membranes were washed and hybridized products were visualized by autoradiography following an 8 day exposure. Blots were probed with β-actin as a control²³. Human Northern: A human multiple tissue blot (FirstChoice Blot 1, Ambion) was hybridized with a 490 bp probe generated by PCR amplification of genomic DNA (Primers: for 5′-TATGGCACTGAAACGATGC-3′ and rev 5′-TTTATTCCCAATGGTTCCACT-3′). Hybridization was performed as above. RT-PCR: Human multiple tissue cDNA panel I (CLONTECH) was PCR-amplified using forward primer 5′-TGTACTGGAGCATCTGTGGG-3′ and reverse primer 5′-CAGTGATTTGGGGCTGACTG-3′ for 35 cycles at an annealing temperature of 56° C.

[0030] GenBank accession numbers. Sequence data for human transcript KIAA0328, AB002326, mouse C57BL6/J cDNA, AF425257 and human BACs, AC069346 and AC074008.

[0031] Discovery of ALMS1 and its link to Alström Syndrome allows improved diagnosis of Alström Syndrome. Patients can be tested for Alström Syndrome in a number of new ways using this information. Genetic material (particularly genomic DNA or mRNA) can be isolated from the patients and sequenced by known methods to determine the presence of any mutations in the coding sequence of the ALMS1 gene, which would indicate Alström Syndrome. Furthermore, the DNA sequence of ALMS1, its complement strand or sequences which hybridize to the DNA sequence of ALMS1 or its complement strand under stringent conditions could be used in a Northern blot analysis to test transcription levels of the gene. Below normal transcription levels of the gene could be used to diagnose Alström Syndrome, since a lack of transcription would indicate that insufficient functional ALMS1 gene product is present in the tissues. Lastly, the protein encoded by ALMS1 could be expressed and isolated and an antibody specific to that protein could be obtained by standard methods of biotechnology. The antibody would then be useful to detect the presence or absence of the ALMS1 protein in tissue samples from patients. Insufficient ALMS1 protein would implicate Alström Syndrome. All of the above methods can be practiced by those of skill in the art, once they know of the sequence of ALMS1 and the link between ALMS1 and Alström Syndrome.

[0032] The term “hybridize under stringent conditions” means that two nucleic acid fragments are capable of hybridization to one another under standard hybridization conditions described in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (1989) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, USA. More specifically, “stringent conditions” as used herein refer to hybridization at 65° C. in a hybridization buffer consisting of 250 mmol/l sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.2, 7% (w/v) SDS, 1% (w/v) BSA, 1 mmol/l EDTA and 0.1 mg/ml single-stranded salmon sperm DNA. A final wash is performed at 65° C. in 125 mmol/l sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.2, 1 mmol/l EDTA and 1% (w/v) SDS.

[0033] References Cited

[0034] The references listed below are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they supplement, explain, provide a background for or teach methodology, techniques and/or compositions employed herein.

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We claim:
 1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:NO: 1, nucleotide sequences hybridizing to SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 or the complement of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 under stringent hybridization conditions and nucleotide sequences encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:NO:
 2. 2. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, selected from the group consisting of: a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 with 19 nucleotides inserted after the 3737^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1; a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 with the 1582^(nd) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 being T; a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 with the 3808^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 being T, the 3809^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 being deleted and the 3813^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 being A; a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 with the 3974^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 being deleted; a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:NO: 1 with the 4648^(th) of SEQ ID NO: 1 being T; and a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 with an A inserted after the 1594^(th) nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:
 1. 3. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, further comprising vector nucleic acid sequences.
 4. The nucleic acid molecule which is at least about 70% identical to the entire length of the nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 5. The nucleic acid molecule which is at least about 80% identical to the entire length of the nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 6. The nucleic acid molecule which is at least about 90% identical to the entire length of the nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 7. The nucleic acid molecule which is at least about 95% identical to the entire length of the nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 8. An isolated host cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, nucleotide sequences hybridizing to SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement of SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent hybridization conditions and nucleotide sequences encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 2. 9. The host cell of claim 8 which is a mammalian host cell.
 10. A method for producing a polypeptide comprising culturing the host cell of claim 8 under conditions in which the nucleic acid molecule is expressed.
 11. An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleic acid molecule having the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleic acid molecule having nucleotide sequences hybridizing to SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement of SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent hybridization conditions and the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleic acid molecule having nucleotide sequences encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 2. 12. An isolated polypeptide comprising at least 50 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 2. 13. An isolated polypeptide comprising at least 100 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 2. 14. An isolated polypeptide comprising at least 200 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 2. 15. A method of diagnosing Alström Syndrome or screening for carriers of Alström Syndrome comprising testing genetic material from a putative carrier for mutations in SEQ ID NO: 1 of ALMS1.
 16. A method of diagnosing Alström Syndrome in a patient, the method comprising determining the presence or absence of the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1 in a tissue sample of the patient.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining the presence or absence of the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1 is performed by adding an antibody specific for the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1 to proteins from the tissue sample and determining the amount of antibody which binds to the proteins from the tissue sample.
 18. A method for identifying a compound suitable for treating Alström Syndrome comprising: contacting a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a fragment thereof, or a cell expressing a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SED ID NO: 2 or a fragment thereof, with a test compound; and determining whether said polypeptide or fragment thereof binds to said test compound, thereby identifying a compound suitable for treating Alström Syndrome. 